Tools that that you thought were stupid to buy when you bought them and now can’t live without.

[Crash Bandicoot]

Using my cheap Wally World electric impact wrench last night got me thinking of tools that I bought that I was on the fence about when I got them, that I could not live without.

That cheap impact and the associated sockets, swivel adaptors, and extensions that cost almost as much as the impact itself; has made removing stuck fasteners in difficult to reach areas while doing work on jack stands where I can’t swing a breaker bar a breeze. Keep in mind I don’t live in the rust belt. Would have killed for this when I lived in Buffalo.

Honorable mention goes to my extendable ratchet from Tractor Supply. Picked it up for $10 because I was killing time while my wife shopped at an adjacent store. 1/2” on one side 3/8” on the other. Used it as a fine ratchet in a pinch, a breaker bar, a hammer, and a punch.

I’d love to hear what awesome tools you were on the fence about when purchasing but couldn’t live without now.

 

[Lenny5160]

I never knew what a hex impact driver was really for. I found a great deal on a Ryobi 1/2" impact wrench and 1/4" hex impact driver combo, so I bought it for the wrench. The wrench has definitely been handy, but I fell in love with the hex driver and now own three of them. Use them all the time.

One of my hex drivers is a 12v Milwaukee that was in a combo with an electric ratchet, and I really love that electric ratchet as well.

 

[SlavaB]

Almost any tool I buy. I've got this new screwdriver set with some weird (to me) torx heads, thought I'd never use it. Then decided to change an engine air filter on my wife's Benz and guess what the bolt holding the filter housing looked like under the hood

 

[JeffKeryk]

MityVac.

 

[NYEngineer]

Long reach Snap On needle nose pliers. LOVE EM.

 

[Quest]

adjustable spanners, never leave home without one (I have more than one, of various different lengths and sizes)

 

[JC1]

I bought a bushing press kit a few years back with all sorts of cups etc. I forgot I had it it's only been used once before about 5 years ago. Saved me a lot of grief when I was changing the trailing arm bushings in the civic.

Amazon.ca

 

[4WD]

My JLU Rubicon

 

[ollie]

Knipex 5" mini pliers, Wera Tool Check, Moto Winch, and many others!!

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Well this has become a very expensive thread for me.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I would have to say it's my tap & die set. I had to repair threads on a CV axle shaft once and was going to just buy the size I needed, I've never needed them before so didn't want to spend a bunch of money on a nice set. But nice set was the only thing they had, so I swallowed the $80 just to get the car going.

That tap & die set gets me out of pickles all the time, or at least eases the frustration factor of many repairs, just being able to clean rusty threads. I've had it for years now and have never broken one, so it was $80 well spent. Soon after I realized how handy it was, I went out and bought a SAE set.

 

[UncleDave]

This is kind of hard to describe -

The open end of the wrench is designed in such a way that it allows you to "ratchet " back and forth without removing and flipping the wrench - when working on something too tight to get an air or electric tool on like a header bolts (like on that V10 in my avatar) these are the bees knees.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I bought a huge pair of Channel locks for those springy hose clamp pliers. Never had such a huge pair.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Locking flex head ratchet I thought it would be one of those things you would never ever need to use but now I use it everyday

 

[spasm3]

This is kind of hard to describe -

The open end of the wrench is designed in such a way that it allows you to "ratchet " back and forth without removing and flipping the wrench - when working on something too tight to get an air or electric tool on like a header bolts (like on that V10 in my avatar) these are the bees knees.

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UncleDave, what brand are those?

 

[ccs368]

My pencil telescoping magnet...for every nut and bolt I lost in the engine bay.

 

[supton]

Headlamp. I can't seem to do anything anymore without one. Must be getting old...

I recently did made some walls in the basement for some offices, and a 1/4" impact driver putting in construction screws... wow, that makes easy work of framing. I guess that is 50% tool, 50% fastener, but it was 100% easier.

 

[SeaJay]

There are reasons why experienced auto mechanics own many, many tens of thousands of dollars worth of tool.

 

[Driz]

This is kind of hard to describe -

The open end of the wrench is designed in such a way that it allows you to "ratchet " back and forth without removing and flipping the wrench - when working on something too tight to get an air or electric tool on like a header bolts (like on that V10 in my avatar) these are the bees knees.

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Funny, I’ve had a set if Craftsman since the early 90s. I tried to like them ......on many occasions but I never found an actual use that something else didn’t do better

 

[UncleDave]

UncleDave, what brand are those?

Expert, part of Macs lineup.

Driz - totally get it.

Another use was adjusting foot heigh on a wall length cabinets where you cant really see the bolt head, so when you take it off to flip you are blind on the reposition - with these once you have contact you just " ratchet" back and forth without removing the tool.